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Zul (Chapter)
(< Previous Chapter) - (Next Chapter >) Rott's POV In another tent on another world a redheaded hornman woke up in a cold sweat. He had dreamt something most terrible. 'What the hell was that? I need to go for a walk.' He threw his covers off, looking around his dark tent. It was clearly still the middle of the night. A bit of light from some nearby nightfires peaked into the tent through its opening. He sat up, and shuffled on his knees to the tent opening, moving it open, and keeping it that way by shoving the tent flap underneath a pile of old books. He looked up to see that both moons were out. He smiled, it was a peaceful sight after the unsettling dream he had just had. Much as he tried... all he could remember was a deer being hunted down by a lioness or something the like of that. He peeked behind him to see his older brother sound asleep. He rubbed his right horn, it ached because he had a bad habit of putting too much weight on it during his sleep. It wasn't chronic, however, as he was a bit of a scrawny boy. He rifled through a pile of old shirts, skins, bones, and furs. He found his footwear after just a few seconds. Simple sandals made of wood, and leather. He slipped them on, and stepped out of the tent, stretching his legs satisfyingly. He cracked his neck, accidentally banging his horn against the tent, and causing the aforementioned pile of books to spill over. He looked in the direction of the books with disinterest, saying "welp." It was a cloudy night, the sky stained orange by nightfires, and campfires. Nightwatchers flew overhead. 'Lucky vermin,' he thought, bitterly. He had their same leathery wings, yet some god had deemed him and all other hornmen unworthy of flight. "Trouble sleepin' Hock?" Hockrott turned around, laying his sleepy eyes on another redheaded hornman, his best friend. "Makal. Yeah, had a weird nightmare, don't really feel tired anymore." An odd look passed over his face, "lucky you. I'm tired as hell." "Oh shut up. Why are you awake then?" Makal thought for a second, "I dunno. Feels like something's about to happen. Just paranoid that Worr's gonna come and kick the chieftains out or something." "Yeah, it does sound like something that bastard would do," said Hockrott. "Ah I've made a mistake, now Hockrott's gonna bitch to me about the monarchy and how it's unfair that hornmen have to live in tents... well yeah, but I've got news - the sky is blue!" Privately, Rott remembered that at the moment the sky was actually orange. "You know just 'cause you can make jokes of it don't mean it isn't important, Makal." "Yeah the sky's color is very interesting," Makal said. "But yeah you're right, and I must say... I do feel like something bad's gonna happen." Rott sat down on a nearby tree stump. "Other than that, how's your night been, twin?" "Honestly, pretty bad. My mom's too hungry to sleep for longer than about an hour. My father still owes her eighty shells. Would really help out right about now," Makal said. "Yeah that does sound pretty terrible... Uh. Maybe ask Billow for some shells? You know despite how much he's disliked... Makaloz still hires him for everything, so he's always got some shells lying around. Also what about just asking Makaloz?" Makal gave him a disdainful look, "we are not beggars Hock. Even if we were, that's only a temporary solution, and it'd be like get Makaloz to lose his title as chieftain." "Don't be prideful Makal. We do not have that luxury. You gotta do all you can to survive," Rott said. Zul was a place for the broken. "Oh look at Hock being serious, for once," Makal joked. Hockrott gave him an annoyed look, and then laughed a bit. "Anyway, I'm going for a walk," Hockrott said. "Lemme join you?" "Why?" "Knowing you, you're gonna go out to Mount Lu to stare at Calum, right?" "Yes of course," Rott said. "What else is there to look at here in Zul?" "You know, for how much you seem to resent Calum, and its king, you sure do seem to like it," Makal said. "Yeah and for how non-serious you are you're unusually prideful," Makal sighed in annoyance, "anyway why do you want to join me?" "Iggrubman, and the others are up there right now, you can just barely make out his hair from here," he pointed towards the mountain, "see, yellow!" "Alright fine, but don't expect much conversation from me. Just trying to tire myself out so I can go back to sleep," said Rott. The two began heading to the mountaintop on the gravel road that runs through the center of Zul, a tent town in the shadow of Mount Lu, which shields Calum, the capital of Flayeland. "Oh you'll love this Rott, see that tent up there, the one with the antlers?" "Yeah I see it. Looks new, wasn't it Ma Zue lived there?" Rott asked. "Yeah, before the chiefs had to send her to lepercave. A cancerman moved in there, from Meyemes. Always love to see those damn city bastards demoted to our level. Shame it won't last long though, that tumor of his is the size of my foot!" "Only been to Meyemes once, before Runol. My father was a tailor so he'd often go up there for "'contracts,'" Rott said. "I think Rauz is from Meyemes, not sure though, you how ... he... is ... with ... words," Makal said. "Dam, you think Rauz is up there?" "More like than not," Makal said. "Hell. My dead dog was more intelligent than that hairy freak," Rott said. "Shut up about your dog Rott, I don't care that he's dead." Rott looked hurt, and said "don't be like that Makal." They were halfway up the mountain at this point, which was more of a high hill than anything. The Hot Season's air hit them, feeling hot, muggy, and humid. Rott made an uncomfortable face, and wiped his dry forehead, as though he expected a stream of sweat. "Ah this heat is insufferable," Rott said. "It feels wrong," Makal said. Neither of them really knew what he meant. They were near the summit now. The sky was a terrible ashen mix of grey, black, and orange. Rott was beginning to dread reaching it. The heat was getting worse. And the smell. Rott was no fool. He knew what he was going to see before he saw it. But human curiosity forced him up those last few steps. Rauz, the Iggrubman, Manth, Rahal, and Vrayek were all gaping down at Calum. The flames were already visible. Hell, he thought he could already hear them crackling. Rott stood next to the Iggrubman. Makal stood next to him, and immediately said, "we have to warn the chieftains. I think they're all awake drinking. Come with me." Some of them followed, some of them didn't. Rott didn't care. He was gripped by a fear that had always plagued him. Rott stared down at Calum. A great fire roared in the heart of the city. At dock was the Black Flag of the Bottomjaw Empire. Huge black boats, with black sails. He could just make soldiers killing civilians down there; clashes in the street. The strong stench of burning flesh. The sound of swords clashing, and people fighting for their lives. Screams. Bloodcurdling screams. Arrows flying. One even hit a nearby bush, and it erupted into flames. He heard a cannon. He had never even heard of fucking ''cannons. "''Hagrotto ''we have leave," the Iggrubman said to Rott in his thick Iggrubish accent, shaking the boy's shoulder to get his attention. "Dey did dis to my contry, now dey do to yours, but lissen, we have to ron!" Rott thought he saw fifty ships. Maybe 100, maybe even more. This was not just a sack. They planned on invading all of Flaye Isle, just as they had conquered the Rainland thirty years prior. The Iggrubman was right. As of right now they were part of the Bottomjaw Empire. "''Harap teak, anuk harukumyk," shouted an armored soldier from almost directly down below. Rott didn't know how to speak Myklasi, but he did know that harukumyk meant "hornman." He ran. The Iggrubman already had. 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